President Higgins to meet USI and Students’ Union representatives

President Michael D. Higgins is to meet with representatives from the Union of Students in Ireland and its member Students’ Unions tomorrow in Áras an Uachtaráin at 4.30pm. The meeting is intended to give student representatives a chance to discuss the President’s Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative.

The Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative seeks to advance the national discourse on inclusion by harnessing the power of young people, enabling them to participate and be more involved. The President is inviting young people aged 17 – 26 to contribute practical suggestions for the improvement of Irish society through an online consultation process and in regional workshops. The consultation will culminate with the President’s first national seminar, which will take place later this year.

USI and its member Students’ Unions have welcomed the President’s initiative and his willingness to engage with young people in a meaningful and constructive manner.

Presidents from twenty three Students’ Unions will attend the meeting, along with USI’s Officer Board. The visiting Students’ Unions include:

“USI and our member Students’ Unions are proud to support and promote the President’s Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative. We are encouraging as many young people as possible to make submissions. At this time in our country’s history we are more in need than ever of the creativity, inventiveness and enthusiasm of young people.

Young people are rarely engaged in the decision making process at government level. Indeed, successive governments have deliberately held General Elections on days that are inconvenient for college students who are not registered to vote in the city or town in which they attend college.

With this initiative the President has shown a genuine willingness to listen to ideas from young people and to present them as a way for our country to move forward from the regressive malaise that has taken hold for too long.”

For more information contact USI Media and Communications Executive, Ronan Costello, on 085-1164263 or email media@usi.ie